Presently, there are several million fluorescent lamps of different types (e.g., circular, linear, etc.) being utilized throughout the United States and foreign countries. Understandably, with so many lamps of this type in operation, it is highly desirous to improve lamp efficacy (lumen output per watt) as a means of conserving energy. It has been established that even a relatively minor increase in efficacy will result in a substantial energy savings if applied to correspondingly large numbers of such lamps. By way of example, it is estimated that an increase in efficacy of only about 5 percent for each linear fluorescent lamp in use in the U.S. (approximately one billion lamps) would result in an energy savings of about $500 million/year.
The instant invention represents a viable means for providing increased efficacy for a fluorescent lamp and is thus believed to constitute a significant advancement in the art.